Chief's Daughter
by heiressdescartes
Summary: To end the conflicts between two great nations, Crown Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation and the Princess of the Southern Water Tribes must unite in holy matrimony. Too bad she doesn't exist.
1. Chapter 1

_The Captain of the Ship_

It was dark and the sun was present but was not visible to any of the men. Some of the other men prayed and cursed to Agni. The captain, however, believed that Agni could not hear them in the winter. They could feel the chill. He had thought perhaps this season had not been the most favorable for the Fire Lord to send them to the South Pole. The commander of the ship had ordered his crew to set ahead. Captain Zhen had been feeling the presence of uncertainty. It must have been the cold, he dismissed.

The fire lord had sent him them with a royal barge. The ship had decorated and boasted the golden trimmings that lined its crimson red walls. A grandeur ship specifically designed to transport royalty and high-class citizens. It was considerably faster than normal vessels and one of the newer ships of the fire nation. The ship, apparently, had not been devised for sailing in colder regions. They had recently noticed that their journey had taken longer than the estimated amount of time to travel to the South Pole. The half-frozen oceans they have encountered as they have been reaching nearer to their destination had been holding them off.

Aside from the frozen ship, captain Zhen also had to deal with frozen men. Some of the men on his crew where fresh navy delegates or as he liked to call them, escapees from the Fire Nation Navy Academy. Boys trained for war delegated security. This was the first snow day for some of the boys. Probably the only one they would ever experience. He noticed that these men could easily be found near the steam coming from below. The men on the deck, however, had not been as fortunate as they could feel the frozen breeze coming from the strong wind.

The Fire Lord had sent for the crew to collect the Princess of the Southern Water Tribe, the betrothed of Crown Prince Zuko. The captain thought it was quite sad for the prince to marry a woman he had never previously met. Even more for the girl, the princess would have to live in a foreign nation, in the heart of her country's enemy nation, rule as the Fire Lady, a queen, and marry the crown prince from a family that has caused destruction to her tribe. His thoughts, however, were unimportant as he was merely a commander of a ship, not even a child of nobility.

"We're approaching, captain." His thoughts were interrupted by a soldier. The captain nodded absently and when back to his musings.

Zhen had found it completely amusing that his nation and the Water Tribes had great conflict. For two nations that have incredible pride, they are interdependent on their enemies' element. The fire nation is in risk of dehydration and the Water tribes are vulnerable to hypothermia. He did not possess the common opinion of the other nations. He cared not if they are from the fire nation, the earth kingdom nor the water tribes. He had met, worked with or against all these men and had seen no difference. There were noble and vicious men from all the parts of the world. He had hoped that whoever this princess was, she would be able to restore the Fire Nation to its former glory.

* * *

He had walked amongst the desk and ordered some of his men to quickly prepare for their approach to the South Pole. Some of the men had quickly rushed to the rooms to clean and make everything presentable for their guest. A small group was at the end of the deck trying to decide who was going to set off the ship. Most of the crew had gone to their stations quickly getting ready to execute standard procedures for their arrival.

Captain Zhen had stared at the main land mass of the South Pole. Whilst its sister tribe had often been condemned as a frozen fortress, the South Pole had merely been a shadow of the former great city. Zhen had highly doubted that the presence of a fire nation ship would be greatly welcomed by any country that had been victims of the former Fire Lord.

From afar, he saw many tents decorated with animal skin no doubt from the various hunting expeditions of the tribes' men. There was a large ice-structure that he had recognized as an igloo towards the east side of the village. At the heart of the village was a cleared area that he suspected to be a fire pit. A large circular wall had surrounded the entire village. On the walls were soldiers ready and on alert for any approaching harm. There were some small boats on the harbour, trade vessels he recognised and a small crowd of people surrounding them waiting for the goods.

The royal barge had collided with the hard ice and the ship had been covered with snow. They had docked and the humongous metal contraptions means of reception of the ship had been lowered. There had been no welcoming party.

He had seen a group whom were the nearest beings to them. The children had paused playing and seem to just stare at the group of soldiers adorned in red, black and embroidery of gold. These greatly contrast to the children who were dressed in thick wool clothing and parkas. These boys had similar hair styles in what he assumed was a water tribe tradition.

"Where is the princess of the Southern Water Tribe?" Zhen asked authority apparent in his tone. It dawned on him that he should have asked less menacingly. The children, however, were completely oblivious to the captain's realization.

"Who?" This boy was the obvious leader amongst his group of friends.

"Princess? Don't you mean the chief's daughter?" Another said.

"Master Katara? I saw her with Chief in the village." The boy from the back said.

A man appeared behind the boys. He was tall and had been fully equipped with proper armory, proudly wearing the colors of his land. There was a distinct symbol on his helmet which Zhen thought that the man could be an equivalent of a lieutenant of some sort. He looked at Zhen and his crew and his eyes flickered to the boys.

"Run along children." He said in a low voice. "Best get home before dusk."

The boys muttered quiet murmurs of protest but when on their way.

"We have arrived to escort the southern water tribe princess."

"I heard." He dismissed. "Voices echo in vast emptiness, an old saying you've probably never heard of."

The fire nation marine offered no comment. Another soldier had approached them. Frankly, Zhen thought everyone from the South Pole had been avoiding a confrontation with the fire nation.

"Bato, Chief Hakoda is looking for you." The soldier refused to meet the gaze of the man. _So, that's his name._

Bato had chuckled. He revert his attention back to the foreigners. "Master Pakku has informed me that the young master is coming as we speak."

Zhen nodded. He ordered his crew to stand by and watched Bato walk away. It was almost time to meet the woman who held the esteemed title: the Princess of the Southern Water Tribes.

* * *

Chief Hakoda had sent the soldier away. He looked at his daughter sitting on the floor. She had grown quite so much that he needed to remind himself sometimes that she was old enough to do things on her own and make her own decisions.

"You don't have to go through with this you know." Hakoda said.

Hakoda was completely against sending her daughter to be married to the Fire nation prince. He was slightly irritated that Chief Arnook had suggested his daughter to the fire nation ambassador. In these circumstances however, this political marriage is quite inevitable. He prayed to his wife's spirit to guide their daughter for her stay in the heart of the enemy's lands.

Katara was fixing her hair into an intricate braid, an old custom in their lands, and spared her father a glance. She knew of her father's opinion on the match. She sighed deeply.

"They took my mother." She said simply. "They aren't going to take anyone else."

Of course, she was going to be selfless. Just like her mother, he thought to himself. Hakoda was afraid. Everyone was aware of the fight for the throne between the siblings when the eldest becomes of age. Hakoda didn't want his daughter to be caught in the middle of that.

Katara stood and grabbed her coat. She had a warm heart and that hunger for peace that most water tribe possessed. She held the mark of the brave, the only one in the family. Despite his hesitance, Hakoda had been quite proud of her.

"You're a Southern woman, remember that." Hakoda needed to emphasize this to her. He grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace. He wanted to declare this to Chief Arnook, that women from his tribe were independent and completely capable of finding their own partners. Frankly, there was an unspoken law in the South Pole that arranged marriages were forbidden. Now however, Hakoda's own daughter had to undergo the same forbidden marriage.

"Dad, everything's going to be fine." Katara muttered to her father's parka. She let go of him and picked up her things. Hakoda watched as she slipped out of the house and disappeared.

He was a father. But, he had acquired the title of Chief of the Southern water tribes before his wife became with child. He was crowned and named a father in the midst of a war. He thought of himself as unfortunate to have lost an unfortunate wife to the enemy, father an unfortunate son having to learn to defend himself and his country in a war brought by people before him and an unfortunate daughter mistaken as a princess and to be married to the damned crowned prince of the fire nation.

"You'd better come back, if you know what's good for you." He muttered quietly and went to continue his work.

* * *

Katara had walked out of their compound towards the harbour. She had met a few friends along the way and said her goodbyes. She didn't have a going away party as her brother had when he got married and moved to the North Pole. Everyone chose not to celebrate her departure. She met weeping old women and young children and briefly gave them a hug. She quietly said farewell to the men, whom are old comrades, she would call them on her explorations outside the compound to the farthest corners of the land. These were her people.

She spied a ship blazed with red and gold. It stood out from her land which way filled with shades of greys, blues, and whites. It clearly did not belong there. The royal barge did not look similar to the infamous shipwreck of the South Pole. This ship had shown extravagance and showed off the riches of its nation.

She was arriving nearer to the barge. It may have looked different and less menacing from the haunted shipwreck, but she was still a bit hesitant to board the ship. Katara met a man standing at the base near his ship, no doubt the captain.

"Your Highness," The captain greeted and bowed. "Welcome to our ship."

Katara chuckled and nodded. She needed not to say anything and she was escorted onto the ship. They showed her the ways to her personal quarters and she went to go to the deck to see them moving away.

Distantly, she had heard the captain give out orders to his men, Fire nation navy whom she was travelling with for the next La-knows-how-long. The ship was departing from the South Pole and she was going with it. She was travelling to the fire nation to marry a foreign prince and eventually rule their land. Despite her uncertainty, she was quite curious about the fire nation. She had learned limited information from her studies. But it had remained at that, limited.

Katara looked back from the ship towards the South Pole. She watched as they drifted away from the giant iceberg, as most would describe it. It had not been the first time she had been away from home. However, those visits were to the sister tribes of her home. Katara had frequently been to the Foggy Swamp and the North Pole to conduct her duties as an ambassador to the Southern Water Tribe.

She reminded herself that it had been for her people and for the rest of the world, as it always was.

* * *

A/N: Chapter two is kinda half written but I don't know when it's going to be published.


	2. Chapter 2

_Letters from the Sister Tribe_

Sounds of wild waves crashing against metal walls awoke her. The storm had continued to rage surrounding their ship. A few weeks had passed since they had left the South Pole. During this time, Katara quickly became accustomed to life on the ship.

Katara had woken up from a nap and had no sense of the time. The room they gave her has fit for royalty. There was a bed with the softest silk and desk facing the metal door. Drapes were lining the walls. As per tradition, everything was in shades of red. It didn't resemble the ships she'd been aboard travelling to the North Pole for ambassadorial duties. She had to remind herself of people outside this room thought about her, a princess used to lavishness.

Katara could hear a distant raucous coming from the floor above her. Katara thought that it should have been near supper time.

She stood up from her bed and approached the table. The desk held various scrolls and messages from her brother and his wife from the north. Yue had sent her a short message warning her about the terms of her marriage and her expectations and duties as a wife of royalty. Yue had been excessively afraid for her. Katara thought that she worried too much but quickly retracted this notion. Maybe her sister-in-law had many misgivings because she knew more on the matter than Katara. Yue had grown up expecting an arranged married and the advice she had given her was simple, act and poise like a princess.

Sokka's note relayed and pleaded her to stay out of trouble. He emphasised trouble involving fire nation citizens. Katara had rolled her eyes reading the note. Her brother was a hypocrite, Katara though recounting his adventures when they were children. She reckoned that she would know her limits unlike him.

A knock on the door interrupted her from her thoughts.

"Enter." Katara said.

"Dinner is ready, my lady." The soldier said.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

She stood up from behind the desk and followed the crew man to the dining hall.

As she walked trailing behind the man, she thought of her life onboard the royal vessel. She had been allowed to practice water bending for which she was grateful. The crew did not mind her training during the evening though she got into trouble the first time because the crew thought they were being attacked. Some soldiers had insisted on overseeing her training. Katara watched some of the soldiers sparring on the deck sometimes during the mornings.

* * *

Katara entered the hall. By this time, she had lost sight of the soldier. The first time Katara had dined in the dinner hall, it had reminded her of her time in the army training site in the South Pole. A distinction, however, was it was certainly less boisterous in the barge. The fire nation crew were kind enough but were serious.

Metal tables were scattered around the room and men sitting at random. The cook was at the end, behind a table serving food and men were lining up in front of him.

They had stopped over in a town yesterday on their way to the capital. The crew had been eager to go to the market and buy fire nation delicacies. Most of the men had grown tired of the cold water fish. While most of the crew went to the shops, Katara chose to remain on the ship with some of the crew.

She took the time to ask questions about life in the fire nation. She was interested in the new developments of in the land. After all, the fire nation is considered the most advanced country in the world, well ahead of the Earth Kingdom. Katara had a certain thirst for knowledge and had an avid curiosity. The crew had enthusiastically obliged after their initial shock at her curiosity. They had told her about the royal family, fire nation islands and old folk lore.

"There was the story of Salamanders who occupied to western islands." The soldier offered. Katara had later learned his name, Akai, and listened to stories of the great creatures.

"Mighty creatures, they are…"

Katara has brought back from her thoughts with Captain Zhen beckoning her to the cook's table. She walked towards the back of the mess hall where most of the men were lining up.

"You must try some of these noodles." Captain Zhen insisted. He had thrust a bowl to her.

"Of course," Katara responded politely.

She tried the food and began to choke. She forced herself to swallow to food. The soldiers around her were looking at her with concern.

"Is it not to your liking?" The cook questioned.

"Is it usually this spicy?" She said sheepishly.

Captain Zhen chuckled. The cook who looked alarmed hurriedly ordered one of the boys to fetch water.

* * *

In the mess hall, there was a large map of the world and each of the four nations. Katara had studied the maps of her nations and had noted some simple inaccuracies. She didn't enlighten the captain on her findings because she thought he would've already known them. She inspected the map their destination. The fire nation was much larger than the North and South Pole combined. There were a vast number of islands, provinces and cities.

Katara inquired which area in the fire nation they were heading. The soldiers told her about Caldera, about the beautiful sunsets and the markets in the industrial harbour. The palace, according to the captain, was a great structure in the heart of royal Caldera, seen even from outside the outer ring of the crater. When Captain Zhen mentioned a crater, Katara became alarmed.

"Did you just say crater?" Katara suddenly asked. "Like a volcano?"

"Yes." Zhen affirmed. "The Capital City is on the dormant volcano."

She relaxed after the additional information, dormant. She wouldn't put it past fire benders to live on an active volcano despite the risks. Katara reasoned that if water benders lived on a frozen and icy rock so far off from the rest of the world then maybe fire benders would be driven to a similar thinking.

Katara had asked about a place called the boiling rock. According to the map, it was located north of the fire nation in a small island. The area's size and the size of inscription had drawn Katara to ask. What was in the small island barely seen in the map that had much importance to have its name written in huge letters? The answer had certainly surprised her, a prison in the middle of a boiling lake. The crew had refused to give her more information.

The tone she received from the crew had prompted Katara to avoid asking questions she thought would create trouble.

* * *

In Caldera, Zuko was pacing around his office. His uncle has somewhere in the palace. His sister was somewhere in the earth kingdom and he was ready to scream himself hoarse. Thankfully, the servants around the palace knew not to disturb him.

This woman was driving him insane and they haven't even met yet. Zuko hadn't received any proper induction regarding this damn marriage. He had, however, to bear and go through it. He recalled his uncle's words of caution. _It is your duty to respect to your betrothed without any exceptions. _

He wondered if it still counted if the betrothed wasn't Mai. It probably did.

The fire nation seemed to be faring quite better than him. A lot of the citizens were quite opposed to the union but were aware that they had no say regarding the spouse of their future ruler. The nobles who had more power and influence simply demanded that the engagement be discontinued. Probably hoping he'd make their daughters the next fire lady, Zuko thought. The palace had prepared a celebration for the coming of his betrothed. Most of Royal Caldera had been in state of holiday.

Crown Prince Zuko had been expecting the Princess of the Southern Water Tribe to arrive any day now. He unfortunately had to keep using formal titles as he didn't know _anything_ about her. He had attempted to find information about the princess and her land. Unfortunately, there weren't many talks about the princess anywhere. The child hadn't travelled much to the foreign lands however was said to be frequently at the North Pole. All over the fire nation, the woman had been thought to be a covert princess and some didn't even know there was a princess. Personally, Zuko never even gave it a thought.

Zuko wondered why he referred to her as a child then a woman immediately after. Perhaps she was both? He didn't know.

Her family was obviously the royal family of the Southern Water tribes. He also knew that her brother was married to Princess Yue of the Northern water tribes, effectively sealing the relationship between the two poles. He had once heard that Princess Yue was an incarnation of the moon, due to a life debt.

Zuko digresses. His uncle would probably say something like,_ Priorities, Zuko!_

As Zuko remained unsuccessful in finding more about the princess, he turned to information about her nation. In the southern water tribes, they may challenge a leader to fight for chiefdom. They had allowed both men and women to practice water bending opposed to their sister tribe. However, most of the water benders had been killed during the infamous raids. The southern water tribe had been attacked by fire nation soldiers a few years earlier bringing southern water benders to extinction. It probably wouldn't be wise to bring that up.

He didn't even know her age. Well, he was informed that she was younger than him. But by how much, he wondered. Amidst all this, he realises he doesn't even know her name! How, in the name of Agni, was he supposed to marry someone without even knowing her name?

Zuko firmly believed he would have to go through this engagement completely empty handed and it greatly frustrated him.

A knock on the door interrupted his train of thoughts.

"Your highness, I beg your forgiveness for the intrusion." The guard bowed in greeting. "The fire lord, sir."

Fire lord Iroh, the perpetrator of all this mess came to visit him. Uncle had seemed to just have come out from a meeting as he was still adorned in traditional robes. He took a seat in front of Zuko, waiting.

Seemingly, all of Zuko's built-up resentment had exploded.

"Why do I have to marry some woman–girl even, from some far off land? I don't know anything about her. Why do you insist on putting me in drastic and complicated positions, old man?" Zuko shouted. He threw a dirty look at his uncle. Guilt quickly washed over him.

But Iroh didn't even flinch. "Would you like some tea, Zuko?" Iroh said calmly.

"I apologise my lord." Zuko bows his head.

Iroh took a sip from his cup and said, "So much like most people your age, you are foolhardy in heart. Patience is a virtue, my son." Then, Iroh left without another word.

It was so like his Uncle Iroh to recite some ancient proverb then leave him to figure it out for himself.

He got into a familiar stance and shot a fireball out the window. Thankfully, it had quickly vanished in the air for it would've ruined some of the palace's lovely gardens. _Don't care_, he thought angrily.

But he did, which would explain all his sufferings.

* * *

Just a few weeks after his first letter, Katara had received another letter from her brother. He had informed her that Yue was pregnant. She was going to be an aunt. The last part of his letter had struck her off.

_Next time I'll see you, you're about to get married._

"I hope I don't see you any time soon then." She whispered into nothingness. She had tried to get her mind of the pending marriage, the engagement, or anything that had to do with her duties when she arrived in the fire nation.

So she focused on the good news. Katara was excessively cheery than usual and the crew had noticed. The captain had asked and she had told him. Zhen then offered her congratulations and proposed a toast.

The Captain raised his glass and said, "May the gods bless the child." The crew followed suit. One of them stood up and raised his glass again.

"To the betrothal of Princess Katara and Prince Zuko!", there were many who agreed to this. Katara had learned that the Royal Family was a great interest for the fire nation. The soldiers had a sizable amount of knowledge about them saying that it was a large part of their lessons when they were children. She wondered if they were good royals. Sure, she thought, they could be well loved by their subjects but that doesn't necessarily mean they can lead soundly.

Katara didn't know them at all so she really was unable to judge. Stories were her only reliant for her knowledge of the fire nation. They had a new fire lord, Iroh, since the last one had sent a raid to the South Pole which killed her mother. Fire Lord Iroh was widowed and had his son pass away in battle. He was heirless. The only heir was his brother's children who were the original heir in the first place. The eldest was the crown prince whom she was to marry. He had a sister, who she really didn't know about.

Katara wondered how old this prince was. The thought made her worry. Sure, she didn't discriminate but she'd be more comfortable if this prince was around her age. Katara knew that it was her choice to marry him but her insufficient amount of information about him had sparked second thoughts. What if he was a jerk? Was he kind? How much work did he have to do as a royal? Men in the South Pole may have been busy but they have a foremost duty to their wives and their family. Will he be too busy for her? Will Katara have to spend the rest of her days in some palace looking to find ways to keep herself from going insane? She didn't even know what her duties would be as his wife. Will she suffer too much in this marriage?

She didn't know and it drove her mad. Notice how many times she had mentioned that she really and honestly didn't know.

"Your Highness?" Zhen asked.

"Yes?" She asked distracted.

"I asked if you wished to return to your chambers." He looked at her with concern.

"Sure." Katara replied. She was feeling tired.

She retired to her room and had moved to her bed as soon as she arrived. But sleep wouldn't overcome her. The captain had announced earlier that they could arrive at Caldera as early as sunrise. She was so near to the end of her denial regarding the fire nation. Katara had to marry the prince of this land and that was that.

* * *

A/N: I'm keeping angry and awkward Zuko for this piece. Guys, can I ask for reviews? Please and thank you. Oh yeah, can we pretend that Zuko can't be Fire Lord unless he's married? I know I'm changing tradition stuff but this is a complete AU anyways because as you can notice, no Aang the Avatar.


	3. Chapter 3

_Poise and Indifference_

The element of fire cannot be seen unless it is triggered. Earth is embedded into the crusts. Water is found all around in oceans, rivers and lakes. Air is in the atmosphere. But fire, fire must be summoned and sparked, a volcano waiting to erupt.

Just before dawn, Katara woke up feeling hotter. This had been a recurring occurrence ever since they had left the South Pole. The temperature would rise and rise as their journey would stretch longer and longer.

Shortly after breakfast the next day, Captain Zhen had announced their arrival.

She nodded to herself in acknowledgement.

Katara straightened her back and remembered her sister-in-law's words, regard and poise. She must become what they expect to be able to live through their nation. She must live through it or she'll be burned.

* * *

Gates had opened for them as the ship steered nearer to land. There were smaller docks on the side and merchants were meeting to greet them similarly to what they do in the South Pole. Many more ports, of course, as the population of the fire nation was much greater and they have fewer resources around to be able to support themselves.

They drifted nearer to the central dock, a more grandeur looking dock and easier access to the rest of the island.

"Why aren't any of the other ships just heading for the central one?" Katara asked. "I mean it would be easier since they would be going towards the city."

"It's reserved for royal ships and official visitors of the palace." Zhen said, carefully.

Enormous pristine walls stood perpendicular to the ground. The wall had lined most of the facade of the island and was divided in the middle where a long road going to somewhere she could not see. Above the walls she could see small layer of rocks and soil. A small gradient upwards similar to a mountain was found a little further away from the pile of land, however it ended there. There was a line which followed all the highest tip of the slope connecting all each one taking an almost circular form, the line of the crater. Only the horizon could be seen beyond.

Part of the wall was carved unto by an insignia, a flame surrounded by a thick ring. Katara thought of this as a sign that she was officially in the fire nation.

"Are we going to meet the prince on the harbour?" Katara was nervous. She was certainly not looking forward to this.

"I'm not sure." He looked uneasy. "I suppose it depends."

Katara wanted to ask, it depends on what, exactly? She kept quiet and continued to inspect her surroundings. They had stopped and some of the crew were rushing to prepare for disembarking.

There was a small crowd forming at the other end of the make shift bridge connecting them to land. Most of the crew were first to get off the barge and the people had greeted them with hugs. The crowd seemed to mostly be family of the soldier longing to be reunited with their family again after the long journey to and from the South Pole. The disadvantage of being in the navy is that it is unclear when they have to report to service and when they'll be back only rough estimates. They might be two days too early or two weeks too late. The soldiers are just certain they will have to return at some point.

She deemed them lucky. They might have no idea when they'll be called or they'll be back but she knew she would not be back at the South Pole for a long while. Katara had accepted her fate of marriage to the prince of the fire nation but it did not make it easier for her to leave her home not having any idea when she'll be back. Two years? Two decades? Maybe Katara wouldn't be able to return back to the South Pole at all. The fire nation had offered many exciting things that they could never have in the South, completely different and she thought of it as another adventure, like the Froggy Swamps or the North Pole; but permanently moving to another place in exchange for home? It had sparked some of her hesitance.

But she was here in the fire nation; there was no turning back now.

Katara watched as one by one the soldiers started slowly disappearing with their respective families. She had little resentment towards them. There were some who remained but their party had diminished quite greatly as some of the soldiers gone.

Katara saw the Captain walking towards her holding a small scroll.

"Miss Katara. The prince has been caught up in the palace." He informed her. "We shall escort you to the Royal Caldera."

The prince wasn't present to greet her. _How rude_, she thought angrily. He might have had a significant affair, but shouldn't meeting his betrothed come first, she questioned to herself. Was she not of importance? She refused to let her irritation show and replied, "Let us go, then."

* * *

The walk past the market place was quite extraordinary. Katara had refused to ride the palanquin and insisted she would walk. The guards seemed sceptical but said nothing. Walking would make their journey longer, she knew but, the water bender didn't mind. There were people staring at her and quietly whispering. Katara supposed that it was because she had looked very different from everyone. The fire nation had gold eyes and pale skin. Her blue eyes and dark complexion were viewed as quite exotic here, she thought. The fact that she was wearing a cerulean frost dress was enough to stand out from the crowd of people dressed in various shades of red and gold.

Katara's thoughts and the crowd's attention were distracted by a sudden shriek for help.

"My boy!" The lady cried. "My boy's been burned!"

She rushed alongside the crowd who hurried to the source of the yells.

"The hospital is in the other side of town."

"Excuse me, sir." She politely moved to the front and entered the household. She saw the woman kneeling before a small crying child. "May I help?"

The woman seemed surprised but nodded.

"I- can I have a bowl of water please?" Katara said. She was unsure how to proceed with this. She had some basic training with healing when she discovered her talent but had never had an attempt with burns.

A man offered a small bowl of water to her and she set it on the ground. She kneeled in front of the child similarly to his mother who had moved to give her way. The boy seemed about three years of age. He seemed afraid of her, perhaps because she looked different. Katara offered a small smile before she began took a deep breath. Just like demonstrated in the training sessions, Katara bended the water to wrap around her hands and applied it to the red burn.

Her patient was looking with fascination at the alluring glow of the water. Katara had focused on running her hands on and around the burn on his arm. When she was satisfied, she lifted her hands and surveyed her work. The skin was red but the swelling had reduced.

"Thank you, miss." The mother was overjoyed with relief. The boy gave her a shy smile but remained wary.

"What caused this?" She inquired.

"His brother was practicing fire bending but had lost control."

After Katara had left the area, a soldier informed her that the area was considered in to be part of the lower class and had a lack of medical attention available.

"Some of the people here only go to the hospitals when their conditions are dire." The soldiers admitted sadly. "They cannot afford the treatment."

_Otherwise they try to heal themselves_, she thought to herself. She was aware of the dangers of getting treatment from untrained healers, even the simplest mistakes can lead to death.

In the South Pole, they did not believe in the use of slaves. People were people and they have their own function in the world. She may have lived in the high chief's house but she did her chores like the rest of the girls her age. She cooked, cleaned and assisted in their tribes needs. She would heal and often travel to other smaller communities in the nation. She would help and play with some of the children.

But, Katara had other duties because of her father's position. She was an ambassador to the Northern Water Tribes. She had visited them because of responsibilities long before her brother had whom was now living there. She had helped drawn various trade proposals between the different nations within the Water Tribes. She was in and out of the military facilities because her work as a diplomat had conflicted with her military training. Sokka had not dealt with such intervention. He was able to complete his training aside from being a hunter and sharing some of their father's minor jobs. He had even enjoyed playing in the politics of the higher rankings in the military. She had no time for it.

Nevertheless, Katara was not naive to the practices of the other nations.

* * *

Most of his life, he had thought that he'd have Mai to marry and rule beside him as fire lady. Zuko had never given thought of the possibility that he wouldn't end up with Mai which had explained a lot of his current predicament.

He didn't know what to say to the girl. _Hi, welcome to the fire nation. So, I'll be your husband in a year. By the way, what's your name? _That surely would be a recipe for disaster on its own, not to mention embarrassing.

He straightened up as he saw a group of guards followed by a palanquin.

"Captain Zhen." He greeted the man. The last time he had seen him was in the fire lord's office being given orders to head to the South Pole.

"Your highness," the captain returned and bowed.

"Princess Katara of the Southern Water Tribe!", he announced.

_Katara_

The princess had stood out from the palanquin. The first thing Zuko had noticed about her was her eyes which were blue and recklessly calm like the sea. She wore a cerulean dress that highlighted her dips and the waves of her body. He thought it was quite cliché that he'd used the sea as an adjective about her. But these qualities had her different from the norms around the fire nation, the odd one out.

Zuko had to admit despite this, she was pretty. It was such a shame he really didn't have the patience for marriage right now.

"Welcome to the fire nation." He said, wanting to get this over with. "I'm Prince Zuko."

* * *

After walking most of the way, Zhen asked Katara to ride the palanquin. She was about to argue but stopped herself. They were near the palace now and there would be too many questions raised if she arrived on foot despite the availability of a palanquin. So, she went with it and rode in the small box. Katara had never been in one before. It was completely enclosed and there no large windows to be able to see the outside fully. There were small holes for ventilation, however. She could not see the palace but they must have already arrived as it stopped.

Katara needed to recall to herself not to flinch every time she's to be announced as 'Princess'. She walked forward from her position behind Captain Zhen. Like she was taught before, bowed before him but remembered to do so without the hand gesture; she was presenting herself as a person, not a bender.

His tone was a bit uncaring and sparked her simmering anger even more. But she didn't let it show. _Indifference_, she chanted to herself.

"Thank you." She said simply.

'Prince Zuko' was a tall man almost as tall as Sokka. He was wearing a more stylish version of a soldier's uniform. He had this expression on his face that showed pride. His face was marred with a scar resulting from a burn. From fire bending perhaps like the boy from the market?

After a pause, he had started talking once more."Escort her to her chambers."

"Excuse me, I'm right here." This man didn't meet her when she just arrived and now she's being sent away? Katara didn't think so. She felt the atmosphere around her change from a cold welcome to an alarmed one. She was irritated, "Please do not talk as if I am not here."

The prince seemed surprised at her protest but couldn't form a proper response.

Katara turned away from him and asked the lady the prince had ordered, "Could you please show me to my rooms?"

The girl nodded and led her into the palace. Though she just arrived, Katara didn't want to spend any more time with the prince at the moment and didn't really think there'd be anything for them to discuss. Katara ignored the scandalous look from the prince when she moved away. It seemed the prince was not used to being disobeyed and he would seriously have to work on that. It seems rather unfortunate for the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation to be engaged to a chief's daughter and not a princess whom would be prim and obedient without fuss.

* * *

After Katara stalked off, the silence on the front steps of the palace was quite unbearable and Zuko had a need to distract everyone.

"I wish to thank you and your crew for your great service, Captain Zhen." Zuko said, diplomatically.

"It is our pleasure to serve the royal family, my prince." The captain's reply came automatically.

"Please excuse me, Captain." Zuko said politely. "I'm afraid I must attend to some duties."

"Of course, sir." Zhen said, understanding. "We must depart for the earth kingdom anyway."

"It was a pleasure meeting you again." Zuko said in farewell. Zhen and the crew bowed yet again and Zuko hurried inside the palace. He had to tell the fire lord of the princess' arrival. Zuko knew he should probably check if she was alright but she is quite irritated judging from her hasty exit earlier. Zuko was confused as to what caused this. Was it something he said? He couldn't recall his exact words earlier and decided to ponder on it later today. He took a right turn and found himself standing in front of his uncle's office.

A guard had entered behind the door into the room and told the fire lord of his arrival no doubt. The other guard stepped aside to let him pass. Zuko went into his Uncle's familiar office. The guard left and closed the door behind him going back to his post.

The fire lord's workplace was indeed the fire lord's, lavish garlands and souvenirs. Iroh had a habit of collecting art pieces from other nations and the walls were playing host to its vastness. There were scrolls and papers littered all around the room and many more stored in the shelves hanging off the wall. He had a stack of papers in front of him, all waiting for his attention.

"Do you have something you which to tell me, my prince, or is it only your intention to stare at my office's decoration?" Iroh said from behind his desk.

"She's here." Zuko announced.

"Splendid." Iroh exclaimed. He pushed back his chair and stood up. "Where is she them? I simply can't wait to meet her."

"She's uhh… resting." Lame excuse, he thought to himself.

"Yes, of course." The fire lord said unsure. "We will meet at supper then."

Zuko was uncomfortable now as he had just lied to his uncle. He had to fix this before night time or else he'd be told off again.

"Excuse me, my lord." Zuko bowed, such formalities were expected not particularly desired.

"I will see you there as well, Zuko."

Zuko left his uncle's office and went to his own. Once the guards had let him in and shut the door behind him, the prince sat down on his chair and closed his eyes.

* * *

In the haste of planning, uncle Iroh had failed to inform him where the princess would be staying, unbelievable. Quickly, Zuko thought of all the possible rooms that she would be staying in. He narrowed it down to three guest suites, all of them near the royal bedrooms. He didn't think Uncle Iroh would assign her one of the visitor rooms in the farther part of the palace as she would be staying here permanently.

As a child, Zuko had enjoyed the intricate hallways of his home. It had allowed many hiding places when playing with his sister and her friends. A big downside, however, was that it was easy to lose track of your location. He once took a wrong turn and found himself in the kitchens when he was intending to go to the gardens. So Zuko had to think of the simplest way to get to all the rooms he suspected to hold the princess.

The prince eventually found the room. The room had been near the private library and opposite to his sister's room. It had been his second guess and he was thankful he did not have to go to the last room which was located in the other side of the wing.

He reckoned it to be the one as there were guards stationed outside the room. As they saw Prince Zuko walking towards the room, the straightened their backs and looked alert. Zuko relayed his wish to see the princess.

"I'm sorry my prince." The guard said sheepishly. "She wished not to be disturbed."

"Understandable." Zuko said nodding. "Please inform her that I will be coming to collect her before dinner, later."

"Yes, sir." The guard said obediently.

Zuko turned around and walked aimlessly around the halls. He had failed his mission of conciliation. The prince realised he had to tell his uncle about it before dinner.

Upsetting your future wife when you meet her? He thought to himself sarcastically. Wise move prince charming.

* * *

About half an hour before sun set, Zuko went off to his uncle's office again.

"My prince, it is dinner already?" Iroh asked. It seemed a bit too early and he was puzzled as to his nephew's presence in his office again.

Zuko shook his head. "I may have deliberately failed to inform you about something."

"And what, pray tell, is that?"

Zuko stuttered, "Sh- I… have done something to ang- annoy her."

Iroh pushed the letter he has previously reading and placed his head in his hands. This was not a good start. He gestured for him to go on.

"I don't know exactly what I did but she walked off on me." Zuko ranted, his nervousness obviously gone. "Is she mad because we're fire nation? Because of what happened in the South Pole a couple of years ago?" He was concerned earlier that this would be an issue. "What did I do; how dare she walk off? I didn't even say ten words to her."

"Are you daft, boy?" He exclaimed. "You can't burn down an ice fortress." Practically raising Zuko, the fire lord knew that he had a very bad temper when triggered.

"And this is relevant because," the prince asked. Very sarcastic retorts were surfacing in his mind but he settled for the one which would cause less damage. "Are you suggesting she's an ice queen?"

Even the wisest of men find it a challenge to make an anger-blind child see reason.

"The same rules apply to an angry heart." The old man said completely ignoring his retort. "You must melt it, child. It takes patience which no high man seems to possess."

He let out a loud sigh and left his uncle's office without bidding farewell as his uncle had stop paying him attention as soon as his lecture ended. He was tired and had desired to skip supper all together in exchange for sleep. Unfortunately, two mistakes don't cancel each other out. Zuko had to do the following: collect the princess from her chambers; manage to be civil and find out why she was cross with him; and satisfy the need to make peace. As if this day was long enough, Zuko still had to endure dinner.

* * *

A/N I know this chapter is a bit late, or more like a lot. I was confused as to how to write this. Zuko's little defence mechanism will be the death of him, I promise. Anyway, I'm excited about the next chapter because of a certain someone. Also, they finally have their first ever proper conversation in the next one. Reviews, please!


	4. Chapter 4

_Fire Nation Royalty_

It remains a fact that the Fire nation is the world's most politically motivated country. Power is a prize most often sought after in any setting from the prestigious offices of the royal leaders to the streets of its citizens. It does not discriminate but only enlightens those who are worthy, the people of high honour.

Supremacy over another is also present in a family household, sadly. It can tear a lot of people apart. Azula would know a lot about that.

Princess Azula of the fire nation, dressed in earth kingdom security uniforms, studying some water nation scrolls having the concentration and patience that would make any air nomad monk nod in approval. Azula had been part of a family that had killed each other in exchange for a position of power and supremacy over an entire nation. She had been born with power.

Her life hadn't been the easiest. After the whole fiasco following the death of her grandfather, she had been assigned a counsellor of sorts. Uncle Iroh had personally advised her about it. He had seen her struggle more so than any else following the fall of Ozai. Azula reluctantly followed her Uncle, more so against her will. Iroh had used his power as fire lord to give her a direct order knowing she would not disobey a command from the reigning leader of the nation.

So, it began. The princess refused at first to talk.

The union of her father and mother had caused many tensions within the royal family. There were theories that her mother had poisoned Fire Lord Azulon. Ursa was banished and her father had played favourites which caused her bad relationship with her sibling.

Her father was dead and her mother was most likely as well. Zuko, she felt didn't have the same anguish as she did when her father passed. Zuko might have felt the same as she did for their father, for their mother.

When she was twelve, she would spend countless of hours wasting time thinking in her room. She would choose be preoccupied with fire bending practice rather than sit idle. Her brother Zuko would still be away in military training. She still had a year before she'd be allowed to go by which time Zuko would have already completed his.

Azula couldn't wait to be away. She was tired of the royal guardians, Tenji. Azula smirked as she remembered that Zuko had still been overseen by Tenji even at the training facilities. Thankfully, she was granted more freedom than him. Azula had not been intimidated by Tenji, no. But, his presence makes you wary and to build up power, one must diminish this kind of bothersome element.

So when she was given a chance to leave the palace, she took it without questions, no apprehension. Now, Azula only had herself to answer.

The meeting with the counsellor took place every fortnight or so and unfortunately for Azula, fourteen days had passed since he last saw him. Tonight, she told him everything directly leading up to her esca- assignment to the Earth Kingdom as an ambassador.

"That's quite…. astonishing." He said.

"Are we done yet?" She asked impatiently.

The man had quietly shook his head and bid his farewell with a bow. Azula made no move to acknowledge him. The man had exited the same way he entered and Azula resumed with her business prior to the counsellor's disturbance.

_Niece,_

_How are you Azula? I do hope everything is going well. I wonder if you are due to visit home. We are swamped with work and I could use any excuse to get out of it, especially now with Zuko's marriage looming. I am not aware whether Zuko had informed you of this in his letters but he is engaged to be married! Zuko's engagement will be going on as discussed. The ships have been sent off to escort the princess a few days ago. _

_Regarding the matter discussed in your last letter, has the tensions lessened? I'm afraid if it had not, we will have another international issue to address. _

_When will we hold your wedding, niece? I do appreciate your work in the Earth Kingdom very much but I would appreciate it more if you were here in the fire nation with a family and more importantly my grandchildren. _

_Fire Lord Iroh_

The princess snorted and burned the letter to crisps. Whether it was for the impression of her brother sending her letters or the idea of her getting married and having kids, she wasn't entirely sure.

* * *

Zuko paced a times in front of the door after purposely walking the longest way he could remember from his room to the Princess' current room. The guards who were posted to keep the princess safe remained stoic but were inwardly amused. It was not every day that you can see Prince Zuko flustered. After a few moments, Zuko had himself composed, nodded to the guard and they stepped aside to let him knock. He heard some steps behind the door and the door unlocked.

Zuko being nervous stuttered, "Umm… hi. I-I mean, good evening."

Katara stared at him incredulously before replying, "Good evening."

Zuko noticed she had changed her clothes from earlier. The princess had refused to look at him. He offered Katara his arm and she hesitantly took it clasping her own arm around his.

Zuko lead her down the corridor and away from the guards outside the princess' chambers.

"Look, I really don't know what I said." He exclaimed. "I'm sorry, okay?"

Katara stayed quiet and Zuko had a feeling she wasn't really listening.

"Did I say something to offend you?"

"No." Katara said coolly. "It was something you did."

"Care to enlighten me, as I am currently unaware?"

"You act like a total jerk."

Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to reply as they had reached their destination.

* * *

Katara had yet to meet the leader of the fire nation and she had a feeling that that will be ticked off her list very soon as she really hoped that she was not dining alone with Zuko. But the fire lord had yet to arrive, very important figures had better things to do than be early for supper.

As soon as they entered the dining hall, Katara noticed that there was no one in the room apart from several guards that were standing against the wall, for each one there would be another standing directly on the opposite side of the room. The palace was definitely filled with guards everywhere. There were guards stationed in every other corridor.

Every time she walked passed one of them since she had arrived a few hours ago, Katara felt self-conscious but didn't know why. It was not as if they had bothered her but she felt like they were still statues and the implications of their presence. Katara very much doubted that there would be as many guards if there was no threat to security. Was this the life at the top, being overly aware of what's going on around; being too afraid?

Katara took her mind off her first question of the fire lord's presence and of course gone off thinking about palace security in an effort to ignore Crown Prince Zuko. She thought of herself childish sometimes but remembered she _is_ a child.

Children like her shouldn't be in a room with their future spouse, awaiting a leader of a nation and expecting to be having dinner with them. She should be outside speculating how they people do dine with major rulers not inside actually doing it. She wonders when she ceased being considered as a child or even been treated as a child.

A guard cleared his throat to gain attention. "The fire lord will be here in a few moments."

Zuko thanked him and the guard bowed and went back to his position.

Katara's mind raced. She hadn't heard much about the fire lord. She would however admit to hearing very bad statements about his predecessor.

"Fire Lord Iroh." The man boomed.

The fire lord entered and Katara was a bit surprised. She hadn't thought that the leader of the fire nation would be old as her Gran Gran. She tells a lie, he was about a decade or two younger than Gran Gran but honestly, she always thought that the fire lord would be about the same age or a few years older that her father. She was wrong.

"Sorry, I'm late. I didn't realize the time." The fire lord said sheepishly.

She bowed and noticed that Zuko had done the same. It was unusual to her to see the prince bowing down to someone even though that said someone is the leader of his nation.

"Good evening, nephew," the fire lord greeted. The fire lord glanced at the guest and extended the welcome to her as well. "Hello, miss."

"Good evening Uncle." Zuko said quietly. She had her back to Zuko and was unaware that he was staring at her.

There was a shift behind the Fire lord and Katara noticed that all the guards except two had exited the door and close the door leading to the hallway.

"I don't know your name, dear." Iroh confessed turning to her.

"I am Katara of the Southern Water Tribes; Pleased to meet you, my lord." She said pleasantly.

"Well, you're very pretty Miss Katara."

Katara blushed and quietly thanked him.

Iroh lead them to the dining table and he took the seat at the end of the table. Zuko had offered his arm again and she wondered why but took it anyway and he guided her to the seat to the fire lord's left and Zuko sat directly across her.

Zuko had tried to catch her eye again but she evaded him.

Thankfully, a few servants carrying trays had entered. They had brought tonight's food, many bowls and plates of fire nation food some stuff she didn't recognize at first but quickly recognized as water tribe food. She was a bit touched that someone would plan to serve food from her home nation on her first night in the fire nation. Katara felt ready to devour all of the food; it had been a while since she had had a proper water tribe meal.

They had set the food on the table in front of her and they quickly bowed and after gaining a gesture of recognition from the fire lord, left.

"Splendid." Iroh clapped his hands together in excitement. "Let us begin on this delicious set of food."

So, they did. Zuko and Iroh had moved to get their own food and after a brief moment of hesitance, Katara moved to get the bowl of stewed sea prunes. The aroma of the dish had been drawing her and she'd been excited to get a taste of it.

After feasting on it, Katara assessed that the sea prunes had been better than she expected. The sea prunes however were not as good as the way her Gran Gran made them at the home but it was passable.

Iroh had entertained them during supper and asked some questions. Even Zuko offered some reluctant conversation, not that she'd respond to him directly. Overall, Katara noted that dinner was quite an informal affair. It was very different from what she imagined it would have been.

* * *

She seemed intelligent and polite enough, Iroh thought relieved. Iroh could imagine the trouble if the princess was reluctant to cooperate. The fire lord confessed that he had been worried about her first night at the palace; however it would seem that she had fitted in properly tonight.

When he complemented her, he had meant it. Iroh thought to himself that the princess would make a fine leader one day after some few instructions. She gave Iroh the impression of someone who was strong and easily adaptable.

As the night had gotten deeper, the more Iroh had become interested in conversing with her. He also noticed that Zuko, despite keeping silent, had been captivated. Katara had offered a fascinating dialogue. Iroh noted however that Katara had been very unwilling to talk to Zuko or even look at him. He sighed; Zuko had not managed to fix his wrong.

Throughout supper, he had tried to get Zuko's attention but failed to get an appropriate response.

"So what do you do in your spare time?"

Katara swallowed and replied, "I used to explore the South Pole with my brother and travel to the North Pole."

"Your brother is Princess Yue's husband, yes?" Iroh asked.

"Yes, my lord." Katara said. "They got married nearly two years ago."

"Zuko's sister is in the Earth kingdom." Iroh said. He noticed Zuko flinch at her name but thankfully Katara had not noticed.

Katara nodded. "Princess Azula."

"She works as the fire nation ambassador to the Earth Kingdom." Zuko said.

They were silent. Eventually, Iroh had thought of another topic for conversation. Katara had still avoided Zuko and Zuko had seemed to personally decide to stop trying to get her attention.

* * *

Upon her arrival in the palace, Katara had been having a hard time trying to navigate around for something as simple as finding a place for peace. One of her personal maids had thankfully given Katara a tour around the palace. On her tour, Katara had come across and become intrigued by the library in the west wing. The room had restricted access but the maid assured her that she'd be allowed to use it.

"Are you sure?" Katara asked. "I don't want to get caught somewhere I'm not allowed to be."

"It's for the royal family's use." The girl insisted. "No one else is allowed inside."

"If you say so..." Katara said still uncertain. Katara looked at the doors to the library with longing.

"You can go in if you wish." She said noticing her facial expression.

"No. No." Katara said. "Let's just continue on." The servant girl did not argue and they turned into the next corridor, away from the library.

Since the tour around the palace, Katara had still not visited the library even though she had wanted to go. Katara had been in the palace for three whole weeks today. She had been keeping herself busy doing absolutely nothing. Most of the servants had been working and her fiancé and his uncle had been working and she had not been working. There was nothing to work on.

Katara had at least expected to do something related to her wedding but learned that there had been no preparation for the wedding at the moment and they were to do it nearer to the day itself. In the water tribe customs, preparation for weddings had usually begun within a fortnight of the engagement. The wedding was usually held 6 months at the earliest after the engagement because of the amount of preparation needed. She had informed them of this but was completely surprised by what they told her.

"_You and prince Zuko aren't even technically engaged yet." _

_She looked confused. "The only reason I'm even in the fire nation is because of my engagement to the prince."_

"_Ah… Here in the fire nation, engagements are only official when it has been announced. There is a formal party and everything." The woman said, quietly, "Especially for something as big as the crown prince's marriage."_

Katara then realized she had never really asked when the wedding was when her father informed her about her impending marriage to the fire nation prince; she had been too busy smashing ice sculptures outside the tribe's compound.

Her fiancé had probably been aware of their wedding date but there a problem arose. The prince had not uttered a word to her since the incident at dinner. Although sometimes, she would notice Prince Zuko was staring at her during supper but quickly returning to his meal when he noticed her looking back at him. Katara had sometimes felt that he wished to tell her something but, nothing.

Katara took her mind of the male and focused on reaching her destination. The guards had took notice of her and bowed soundlessly. It had taken a while before some of them had stopped being surprised when she walked around the palace unaccompanied. Apparently, it was not part of the norms for a guest to walk around without supervision. She could argue however that she was not a merely a guest but she would have rather not admit it out loud.

She reached the wooden sliding doors and entered. She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. It was quiet. She was alone.

The room contained was full of shelves filled with hundreds of scrolls and texts. Carefully categorized, there were scrolls on about everything Katara could think of and more. Aside from storage, there was a single desk and a few chairs in different parts of the library.

Rushing to one of the shelves, Katara gently grabbed one that was labeled as 'Early Divisions of Qin Lo' and took a seat in one of the comfy chairs. She recognized the place as one of the ancient places that people had come to pray to the healer spirits centuries ago. The scroll began with a brief foreword confirming her minimal knowledge and gone on in detail about the disagreements that had torn the province apart. Qin Lo had today remained a vast ruin in the far eastern side of the earth kingdom.

Katara whom was fully absorbed in the new knowledge had paid no mind to her surroundings. Had she been aware, she'd notice that she was no longer alone.

"Princess Katara."

"Fire Lord Iroh!" Katara said startled.

She set down the scrolls and rose up from her seat. Katara bowed and the fire lord objected.

"None of that please." Iroh said. "We are just by ourselves."

Katara apologized. Iroh chuckled and took a seat across her and Katara followed suit returning to her position before being disturbed.

"What are you reading, dear?"

"Just some old scriptures about healing spirits," She replied.

"Is healing perhaps an interest of yours?"

She blushed, "Yes, sir." Katara hadn't really talked much about her home life and having the leader of the fire nation ask her a simple question was quite unusual.

"How is everything going with Prince Zuko?" He asked. "I have not noticed you conversing with him.

"I must confess, we haven't really talked that much." Katara said.

"He isn't very talkative, is he?" Iroh chuckled.

"I'm… he's very, well, different." She said sheepishly. Iroh had nodded and that gave her reassurance to go on. "It's like he can turned from a completely strong bossy prince to a shy stuttering boy. He's, I don't know."

"Zuko is used to dealing with strangers whom he will probably have a very slim chance of ever meeting again. He gets them every day in his nature of work. People from the city, nobles from far away in the fire nation; they do not have a day to day impact on his life." He said solemnly. "It takes a while for him to get used to permanent fixtures."

Katara looks away. She didn't like to be reminded of her situation. She thought it was quite pathetic of her to do so because there is absolutely no reason for her to be afraid or be ashamed of the fact. Katara was getting married but sometimes she wished for something more than this.

"How are you, my lord?" Katara said politely. "Has your day been well?"

"I am fine, thank you." Iroh replied joyously. "My day was composed of getting visitors from some of the western provinces."

They continued to talk about general things, about things that didn't have anything to do with her engagement.

* * *

Are the Fire Nation customs similar to the Southern Water Tribes'? The same question had been holding Katara back from weeks on end. It had been a full moon tonight, the first since she arrived in the palace and she's itching to water bend properly.

Tui and La had been calling her again. But, Katara remains frightened of the possibility that she'd be persecuted for practising offensive or defensive bending because she was a woman but she had no one to ask. It was not as if they knew she could bend anyway.

Travelling was always a problem for her in terms of her bending. When she was performing ambassadorial duties in the Northern Water Tribes, she had to keep her bending to a minimum because she knew that the elders would frown upon it.

Did the fire nation allow bending?

"It's late."

Katara turned around to find Prince Zuko standing at the other door to the balcony. He looked tired.

"I know."

"Why are you still awake?" He asked. "Unless you have a pile of paperwork lying around somewhere..."

She shook her head and chuckled.

"Why do fire nation people wake up at sun rise?"

Zuko shrugged. "We usually can't go back to sleep."

"There's your answer." Katara stated. "It's usually worse during the full moon. You don't really know why, but you're just… restless."

He just nodded in agreement.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Do you- is bending forbidden here?" Katara said. "In the fire nation, I mean."

"No." Zuko said unsure.

"…Even for women?"

"Yes." Zuko nodded. "Why wouldn't women be allowed to bend?"

"I don't know."

"So, you're a water bender." He said as a matter of fact.

She nodded.

"You can go any time it's legal." He joked, "Which is all the time."

She laughed at his lame joke.

"There's a training ground that can be used any time you wish." The prince informed her.

"I confess I had been wondering about it, your bending abilities."

"I wanted to ask but, I never really got to do it."

They were both silent. They both knew the cause of their hesitance. Zuko had been feeling guilty about avoiding her for the past couple of weeks and intended to make up for it.

"I'm sorry." He said. "About not being able to talk to you for the past couple of weeks and for acting stupid when you first arrived."

She remained silent for a bit then responded, "Apology accepted. I guess I overreacted as well."

"I saw you having a conversation with Uncle earlier."

"Were you listening in?"

"No." He quickly denied. "I was just wondering what you were talking about since he won't tell me, unless it's a secret."

She rolled her eyes. "It isn't a secret but I'd rather not tell you."

"That's fine, Princess." Zuko didn't want her to feel pressured. He had a long time to think about how he was going to talk and act around her.

A silence followed. Katara was looking at the stars and Zuko had been fiddling with the sleeves of his robes.

"Prince Zuko, I'd rather you called me just Katara." She said quietly.

"Call me Zuko, then." He smiled.

Zuko was silent for a while and she really didn't feel like saying anything else.

When the tribe got together in the South Pole, Katara remembered listening into girls' conversations about how boys were confusing. She disagreed with a lot of what they said. Living with Sokka had been simple enough; sometimes she'd think he was just stupid, a simpleton, until, of course, Gran-Gran scolded her for such remarks. Now, Katara had understood what they were going on about: boys were confusing. Well, Zuko certainly was.

* * *

Zuko had to admit that he had never felt this nervous to simply ask a girl a question.

"Would you like to have dinner with me?" He said brazenly.

She looked confused. "I have dinner with you every night."

"I mean just the two of us." He gulped and continued, "You know, like a date."

"Oh." She said.

"You don't have to do it."

"Of course Prince Zuko yes."

They spoke at the same time. There was a pause again.

"I don't want you to feel obliged to say yes." He frowned.

"No. I think it's a great idea." She grinned. She remembered what Iroh said earlier and thought that she and Zuko needed some time to talk alone and dinner seemed to be the only solution that came to mind.

"So, is tomorrow night alright?" He asked.

"Sure."

Zuko smiled.

* * *

After days of anxiety, Zuko finally did it. Zuko stripped his shirt off and slipped under his sheets. He had the date all planned, the food, the drinks, the setting, the time, his clothes and he was going to walk her back to her room after dinner.

Now, Zuko had to simply sleep, wake up tomorrow and follow his little plan. The first part of his statement was of course already becoming a trouble as he seemed too excited to sleep.

* * *

A/N Awkward and moody Zuko strikes again. AND AZULA. Yes, I wanted Azula in this story because of reasons. I personally think that Azula is a redeemable character if Zuko hadn't left was banished but I don't know your opinion so... Anyway, I know this chapter took like a month to finish but I had school, which is a valid excuse, and homework, which needs doing unfortunately, so sorry. However, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this had over 4,000 words.

The next one will be published as soon as I get around to writing and finishing it. No time frames, sorry. Reviews please!


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